The biggest thing we can hope for as Blue Jackets fans, is the improvement of the younger players on the roster. That's what it's going to take for this team to step forward and start really competing for a playoff spot. One guy who flies under the radar is Cole Sillinger, but I don't think that will be the case for much longer.
Cole is often overlooked because he's been on the team for so long. But, it's important to remember that he's only just turning 22 years old. This is a guy who has been developing right in front of our eyes.
In that regard, one could say that he was rushed to the NHL too soon. I can definitely agree to that statement. He's been in some rough spots. But, this isn't the kind of player that I think will be affected by that in the longer term. And, I think he's due for a larger breakout this year.
The addition of Charlie Coyle to the bottom-six will free up some of Cole's two-way responsibilities. Whether he plays on the second line or the third line, I think he'll have an easier time against the opposition this season. He's an underrated shooter who will make a nice complimentary piece wherever he's used.
Fewer reliance in the defensive zone and improved talent around him could open up more potential. I came up with three comparable players that will help explain why I think he's due for a bigger year.
Here are the basic NHL stats of each of these comps after their 21 year old season:
Player A: 265 games played, 45 goals, 127 points, -7, 50 penalty minutes
Player B: 103 games played, 25 goals, 46 points, -7, 57 penalty minutes
Player C: 110 games played, 20 goals, 46 points, -17, 58 penalty minutes
Compare these to Cole Sillinger: 286 games played, 43 goals, 107 points, -60 (ouch), 140 penalty minutes. All things considered, pretty close aside from the +/- rating (who cares about this stat anyway?).
The players I just compared Cole Sillinger to are pretty good. That's Ryan O'Reilly (A), Boone Jenner (B) and Brayden Schenn (C). All players he lines up against in size and play style. I figured the results would be close, but I was surprised at how close. So, I dug into deeper stats ... and found that Cole is actually coming along at a terrific pace. Before their 22 year old season:
O'Reilly: 509 shots on goal, 148 blocked shots, 159 hits, 51% on faceoffs.
Jenner: 210 SOG, 61 blocks, 313 hits, 49% on faceoffs.
Schenn: 187 SOG, 50 blocks, 261 hits, 45% on faceoffs.
Sillinger: 527 SOG, 189 blocks, 396 hits, 46% on faceoffs.
As you can see, at the same age, Cole Sillinger is very comparable to each of these guys in different ways. I feel pretty comfortable saying that all three of these vets have become very sought after NHL players.
You might call them "utility players" or "secondary pieces", but it's notable that Cole is on a very similar - if not favorable - trajectory. And, each of them took larger steps offensively in their 22 year old season:
O'Reilly: 80 games played, 28 goals, 64 points.
Jenner: 82 games played, 30 goals, 49 points.
Schenn: 82 games played, 20 goals, 41 points.
With rumors that Sillinger has added some muscle this summer, along with the additional support around him, it's reasonable to expect him to be a greater contributor offensively.
Can he emerge as a second line piece for the Blue Jackets? If the history in these comps is any indication, he could land somewhere in that highly desired 25 goal, 55 point range. That would make him a second line player for nearly every team in the league.
This is one player we will be watching closely at training camp. It feels like he's the next youngster on this roster to take a larger step, and it could be this year.